


What a Wonderful World

by Firekitten



Category: RWBY
Genre: FairGame Week 2020, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:54:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23193511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firekitten/pseuds/Firekitten
Summary: After Salem's attack leaves Mantle and Atlas scrambling for an emergency evacuation, all of its former citizens are left misplaced and homeless, including 5-year-old Citrus and 6-month-old Mint. With no where else to go, the two are placed in Clover and Qrow's care, and Clover soon finds that the future he once envisioned him having with Qrow was changing in a way he could never of imagined... but could never regret.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Comments: 12
Kudos: 52





	What a Wonderful World

**Author's Note:**

> I make no excuses for how off the rails this story went. Because it went WAY off.
> 
> Written for Day 2 of Fair Game Week. Prompt used: Domestic
> 
> Mint and Citrus belong to Evebun: https://evebun.tumblr.com/post/190973067881/i-made-fair-game-babies-mint-and-citrus-ebi

The heat was stifling. Even aura had its limits, leaving his skin stinging and slick with sweat. The smoke that hung in the air choked at his throat and burned at his eyes until they watered. So, it was by pure luck he spotted her, wedged in the space between the wall and the couch.

“Found another!” Clover pulled his arm band down from his mouth long enough to shout over the roar of the fire. He gripped the leg of the heavy furniture, muscles straining as he lifted it up and angled it away from the wall so he could get to her.

As he gathered her limp form in his arms, he realized how small she was. Perhaps only 4 or 5. The youngest they’d found. Her face and little white dress with orange slices patterned across it were both covered in ash. Shakily, he looked for a pulse.

“Is she okay?!” Qrow hurried over, eyes bloodshot from the fire and cape tied around his face like a bandanna. Elm or Harriet must have gotten out the twins he had found trapped in the laundry room.

There it was, weak but steady. Tiny little beats under his fingertips.

He pulled his arm band over her own mouth, giving a relieved nod. Nearby, the stairs to the second floor collapsed, sending up sparks and the couch he’d just moved caught fire. The structure was creaking dangerously around them.

“I-” He started to say, only to start coughing as the smoke invaded his lungs.

Qrow lifted up one edge of his cape over his mouth to help him filter, his other hand encircling his bicep. “Time to go lucky.”

Too woozy to argue – and that probably wasn’t a good sign – he allowed the other huntsmen to guide him back to the front door. Elm came into view as they got close, gaze falling to the bundle in his arms.

Before Clover could hand her off, he felt the grip on his arm turn painful, Qrow’s nails digging in like claws. He gave a hiss, looking towards him – could only see his wide, terrified eyes – and then suddenly he was ripping away from him, running back into the firestorm with an order of, “Get them out of here!” yelled over his shoulder.

“Qrow-!” Clover turned around, trying to follow him, only to feel his own teammate’s arms encircle his waist, lifting him up effortlessly.

“You heard him captain!” He didn’t have it in him to struggle as the powerful woman dragged him out of the complex and set him down on the snow-covered streets of Mantle. His heat-burned skin begged for him to sink into the ground’s icy embrace, but he fought against the urge, eyes darting over the sea of little faces crowded on the other side of the street, Harriet zipping between them at an alarming rate as she tried to check and re-check each child for injury or signs of smoke inhalation.

He turned back to the burning building, the blaze lighting the area in a fiery orange and covering the sky in thick, black clouds. The past few minutes came back in a rush.

It had been awful. They had just been trying to clear the streets, looking for more survivors to bring back to the underground, when a stray shot from a manticore caught one of the building’s ablaze. They hadn’t expected it to be occupied. With no ice dust, they had to go in the old-fashioned way, quickly realizing by the number of toys and kids inside that the caretaker of the orphanage must have sheltered down with them while waiting for help.

They stumbled upon her and three of the kids dead in the kitchen where the blast had exploded the fire-dust infused oven.

Part of the roof collapsing yanked him back into the present and Clover found himself desperately staring at the front door and willing Qrow to walk out of it.

Elm’s hand clutched onto his shoulder. “Cap’n, you need to sit down. You’re swaying.”

“M’fine.” He declined, gritting his teeth as a window on the second floor exploded. They couldn’t wait for Qrow any longer. “Harriet-!”

The rest of his command fell away when the man himself came leaping out of the same window. He landed hard, falling to the snow on his knees. He curled around the bundle he held in his arms swathed in his cape.

Clover’s heart leapt to his throat – No. _No way_. – before he tore from Elm’s grip, crying out hoarsely, “Qrow!”

He stumbled just as he reached him, collapsing beside him, his grasp on the girl he still held tightening so the fall didn’t jostle her.

“S’okay. It’s okay.” Qrow gasped, pulling back one of the folds of the red cape.

Watery eyes the same shade as Clover’s own blinked back up at them both, before the little infant began to cry.

It was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard.

He fell against his boyfriend’s shoulder, feeling like he could cry himself. He checked on his own charge, testing her pulse and breathing again. Still there, but the unconsciousness worried him. “Elm, what’s the status of our back-up?” He croaked out as she came over, probably intending to assist them to the other side of the road.

“May’s on her way with a transport truck now. Jaune’s with her.”

Good. That was good.

He shut his eyes a moment.

When he opened them again, he was in the truck, silvery white aura dancing across his vision. He focused on the young man hovering above him.

Jaune sighed in relief. “Oh good, you’re awake. I was beginning to think I needed to perform CPR.”

“I appreciate you sparing me.” He voiced roughly. He swallowed, flinching at the pain. His throat had never been so sore.

It felt like a smack in the face when he remembered how it got that way.

“Wait, the kids! You should be helping them.”

Jaune didn’t move, smiling reassuringly. “Only two people were in need of immediate care, yourself included. So, I’m multi-tasking.”

Clover furrowed his brow, about to question how that was possible, when a small tug on his lapel had him glancing down.

Years from now, Clover would tell Citrus this story – that the very first time he looked into her smiling face and honey brown eyes, he knew he loved her.

“Hey mister!” The little girl he’d rescued pulled at the badge on his chest once more. “I like your pin.”

“Oh yeah?” Admittedly, he hadn’t interacted much with really young kids, so he did his best to mimic the way Elm would talk whenever her cousins came to visit. “I like it too. It’s my lucky charm.”

Her eyes went extra wide. “Is it _really_ lucky?”

Clover couldn’t help his grin. “Like you wouldn’t believe.”

A snort drew his attention to the left, the sight that greeted him warming his heart. Qrow was against the wall, looking run down yet calm as he rocked the slumbering infant. He looked so… natural, like that. As if he’d done it many times before.

Upon catching his gaze, Qrow offered him a smile, one Clover tiredly returned.

* * *

That night had been their last search-and-rescue mission. Not because the work was done, there had certainly been several zones in both Mantle and Atlas still left to cover, but because…

Well…

“Daddy, catch me!”

Clover felt all the air in his lungs leave him as Citrus divebombed him from the wardrobe he’d told her a thousand times not to climb. “What do you think you’re doing you little rascal?”

“I told you, I’ma kitty!” She said, making little claw movements with her hands.

“Well, that sounds bad for dad’s health.” He walked her over to her bed, setting her down on the plush duvet sporting happy faces of various cartoon dinosaurs.

“Daddy, you’re silly! Dad’s not an _actual_ bird.” She explained patiently.

Clover snickered. One day, they’d tell her.

But that day was certainly not today. “Alright, what would the kitty cat like to wear this morning?”

“Plaid!”

“Again?” He asked, quirking a smile as she prowled around her bed like a tiny lion. 

“Uh-huh. Mint likes to trace the lines.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you Trissy.”

As she hissed and bat her stuffed animals to the floor, he searched through her dresser for the requested pattern. A lot of what filled it were merely hand-me-downs of Ruby and Yang’s that’d been hiding up in Tai’s attic. The same was true for everything from her furniture and toys right down to the very room they stood in.

He had never considered kids as part of his future. It didn’t seem a possible concept when factoring in his particular interest in male-only lovers. So, to suddenly have two practically dropped into his lap, Clover had no issue accepting any help the more experienced father had to give, to say nothing of the paragraphs of advice he had to hand out at any given moment. He and Qrow certainly couldn’t thank him enough.

Well. _He_ certainly couldn’t. Qrow, on the other hand, was all off-handed comments about how this was all ‘only fair payback’. Which, if Tai overheard, resulted in the two bickering like teenagers. It never got heated and no one ever stormed off upset, but it still baffled Clover that they couldn’t just talk it out.

But, puzzling out their seemingly crooked foundation of a friendship was just one thing too many for Clover to add to his ever-weighted plate of things to worry about.

Like how to convince Citrus to wear her shoes today. “Come on Trissy, you’re going to rip up your leggings again. How about just the left one?”

“No.” She plopped down on her rear, scooting away from him. “Don’t like ‘em. They make my feet hurt.”

“You haven’t even tried these ones before. And look! They have little stars on them.” He tried to cajole.

A picture of defiance, Citrus crossed her legs and held onto her feet, repeating firmly. “No!”

If his former subordinates ever found out he could be so effortlessly taken down by a child, they would never let him live it down. With a conceding sigh, he placed the sneakers back under her bed. “Alright, no shoes for now. Would you like to do your hair instead?”

“I want dad to do it.”

The gentle reminder that this was dad’s morning to help Mint get ready was right on the tip of his tongue – when another voice beat him to the punch.

“Good call squirt. I’m the one with all the fashion sense.” Qrow was standing in the doorway, somehow still able to look incredibly smug despite the fact he was a forty-four-year-old man currently rocking an infant.

Citrus raced over to him, clinging onto his leg. “Dad!”

“Need something?” He lifted his foot off the ground and held it up high, letting her dangle from his shin – it was still a wonder to Clover how he managed to keep his balance.

She started to swing back and forth like a monkey. “Can you do my hair up in cherries like before?”

“Hmm, I don’t know.” Qrow made a big show of thinking it over really hard. “I believe there’s a magic word I need to hear first.”

“Please? Please, please, pleaaaase?” She stretched out the last one.

He chuckled, lowering her back to the floor. “Alright already squirt. No need to pull my leg.”

Clover turned away just so Qrow couldn’t see how that awful joke made him smile.

Thankfully, he was too preoccupied to notice. “Go sit at your spot for me.” As she hurried over to the little vanity desk with its nail-polish stained top, missing drawers and cracked mirror, Qrow approached him, handing off their son. “He’s not too fussy today.”

That had about a 60% chance of changing the moment Qrow left Mint’s line of sight.

A month into their not-quite official parenthood, Clover started to collect parenting guide books and every night, he would read a chapter or two before bed. One evening when he was thumbing through Infant Milestones and What to Look Out For, he came across the term “separation anxiety”. Apparently, it was a common in babies of Mint’s age – which they’d guesstimated to be 6 or 7 months. Despite the worrisome name, it was defined as a developmental period in which a child understood that things and people could leave and return, and they responded to this by wailing. The chapter went on to assure it was a temporary issue that would crop up in small bursts over time.

Eight months and some mild improvement later, it was still an issue laser-focused on Qrow.

But, if he were honest, it was one that went both ways. With such sudden unconditional love being given to him on a daily basis, Qrow had formed a paternal bond with the boy that became unshakable as the months went on. In fact, Clover suspected the other huntsman had decided on adoption well before he had.

For Clover, that moment came several months in.

Originally, Citrus and Mint’s care was to be temporary. Unlike the rest of the kids they’d saved from that fire, the two were much too young for Patch’s already over-crowded shelter to feel comfortable taking charge of them during the crisis. Not wanting the two to be lost to a hectic system or to just dump them on Tai who was already the lynchpin of the evacuation efforts’ portaling system, Clover and Qrow had unanimously agreed to foster the two children until things could calm and better arrangements for the two could be made.

At the time, they had just shrugged it off. How long could it possibly take, really? A few days? A week, at most?

When they passed the first month and the first groups of Atlesians were only just being ferried across to Vale to further the relief program, they realized they _may_ have been just a little off on their prediction.

After the second, Mint had his name bestowed upon him accidentally when Qrow realized his eyes matched the mint chocolate chip ice cream the boy was trying to take out of his hand.

By the third, Clover had grown pretty used to reading Citrus fairytales before bed. He was just picking through an anthology for something new when it happened:

“So, are you my new daddy?”

The book almost fell out his grasp. He met the little girl’s unwavering gaze and felt more effortlessly pinned by it than any glare his superiors ever managed to dish out. “What makes you ask?”

“’Cause you do all the things a daddy is supposed to.” She picked up a stuffed rabbit. “You give me Mr. Cuddlesworth. And you read me stories. And make me brush my teeth before I go to bed. Which is yucky and we should have a vote on that.”

He may have laughed had his mind not been going a mile a minute.

It came to a complete stop when she looked at him and asked again. “So, are you?”

He didn’t end up giving her a definitive answer that night. Later, Clover found himself lying awake and staring at the ceiling until it eventually annoyed Qrow into rolling over.

“Alright, I can hear those cogs in your head struggling to turn. What’s wrong?”

He answered the question with one of his own. “Have you… ever wanted kids?”

“Always.” No pause, no doubt.

He looked at him. “Really?”

Qrow propped his head up in one hand. “That so hard to believe?”

“A little, yeah.” He admitted, suddenly feeling guilty over his own thoughts. There was still so much that was new between them – why was he trying to throw a wrench into that?

Even in the dark, he could tell Qrow was studying him. “You’ve been thinking about them too, eh?”

“It’s just – Citrus is starting to ask questions. She’s thinking this place is permanent. And Light knows Mint can’t go anywhere without you.” Clover rubbed a hand over his eyes. “What are we going to do?”

“Guess we just got to keep ‘em.” Over his incredulous spluttering, Qrow added, “What? That’s what you were trying to ask, right?”

“But it’s _crazy_. And stupid! And-And-”

“It’s far from the craziest or stupidest thing I’ve ever done.”

He turned onto his side, facing him fully. “What about us? We haven’t even been together for half a year yet, Qrow. And this is a lifetime commitment.”

“Yeah, and?”

Did someone in this house have a personality switching semblance? Where was all this confidence coming from? “I kind of figured you’d be more concerned about this.”

Qrow hummed, resting his head. “Did I ever tell you I used to teach at Signal?”

“No.” He’d been in the primary combat school dozens of times by now. With the facility shutdown due to the disaster in Atlas, the classrooms had been repurposed for sleeping space for the thousands who’d been relocated. He had to wonder which of the many classrooms had been Qrow’s. “Seems an unusual choice for you.”

“Heh, you’re telling me. That’s because I didn’t take the position because I wanted to.” He swept a hand above them, as if encompassing the room around them. “I took it because I had to help out here. When Ruby’s mom died, Tai was a wreck and needed help with the girls. And I just, shelved everything else in my life to be here for them.”

“That’s an incredible thing to do.” The sentiment was genuine, but he couldn’t help the grin as Qrow tried to hide in his pillow.

“Point is, I’ve already had to make a decision like this before. Making it again isn’t so hard for me.” He reached out, tapping his chest. “Sounds to me it’s just you having doubts.”

He wasn’t wrong. Clover was feeling uncertain – but he couldn’t figure out why. It wasn’t until the next day, when he mentioned his and Qrow’s conversation to Tai and shared his own confused misgivings, that he finally figured it out.

“Give me your scroll.”

Confused, he dropped the device into his hand, watching Tai pull something up, before handing it back. Clover looked down. His heart fell at the ‘Decommission of Huntsman Duty Request’ staring back at him. It seemed obvious when presented like that.

“Being a father means it comes first.” Tai clapped him on the shoulder. “When you can submit that, then you know it’s what you really want.”

“And if I can’t?”

“Then you can’t.” He echoed. “Starting a family isn’t about sacrificing happiness, it’s about creating it. There’s no shame in admitting that it’s not something you want.”

Clover sighed, running a hand through his hair. Laughter from outside had him looking up, seeing Qrow holding Citrus above his head as he strolled around the property. She had her arms held out in front of her, mimicking a superhero flying through the sky. What really captivated him was Qrow himself. The other man was not known for smiling big, if much at all – but right then, it had enough brightness to it to power the sun. The sight made his chest swell so much, it could burst.

“And if I can?” He whispered, like a secret that shouldn’t be told.

“Then you can.” Having been watching the two outside as well, Tai’s smile and eyes were distant. Perhaps his own girls on his mind. “And one day, you’ll look back at that moment and realize that even though you never saw your life going this way, it was the best decision you ever made.”

All his life, Clover had been certain he would die a huntsman. That he would fight and protect and fight some more until something finally got the better of him. If he was lucky, he’d go out heroically, sacrificing his own life to save even one last person. He never thought he needed anything else.

But as he watched the two play, filling the backyard with such innocent, simple joy, he wondered if he could truly leave this behind without regret.

“What do you think Qrow’ll do?” He asked.

“I think that’s a question you should ask him yourself.”

So, he did.

And now, five months later, here he was playing peek-a-boo with Mint while Qrow put hair ties with little red bobbles on them up in Citrus’ hair.

He hadn’t yet regretted a single day.

* * *

Raven was in the kitchen when they got downstairs.

Mint started to fuss immediately, and Clover didn’t put up a fight when Qrow reached out to take him.

“Brother.” She said around a sip of tea.

“Raven.” He returned, expression thunderous on their intruder.

If Tai and Qrow’s relationship was one that Clover didn’t have time to figure out, he didn’t even try to _touch_ Qrow and Raven’s. It just had bad blood written all over it.

“Auntie Rae!” Citrus, still too young to really understand all the hostility in the air, skipped over to the woman with no hesitation.

Despite the fact there were three other huntsmen in the room, Qrow tensed up every time. Clover placed a hand on his back.

“Dad did my hair, isn’t it pretty?” The girl lowered her head, pointing to the ties.

“It’s, fine.” In an instant, Raven’s mask broke into something lost and confused. It was hilarious how one child could make her go from borderline threatening to uselessly awkward. “Why don’t you show Tai, I’m sure he’ll love it.”

“’Kay!” She chirped, running over to the counter where the man was preparing a stew that would be left to shimmer until supper.

The taunt muscles under his hand started to unwind. Clover rubbed the rest of the tension away, giving Qrow a kiss on the cheek. “Sit down. I got breakfast.”

Shooting him a grateful look, the other man did just that, addressing his sister, “I assume if you’re here, you’ve got news?”

“Do I come for any other reason?”

“Thankfully, no.”

Clover listened with one ear as he went about the motions. Warmed a bottle for Mint. Poured a cup of coffee for Qrow. Popped on the top of the sippy cup filled with apple juice for Citrus. As he lifted the fresh tea kettle for himself, he paused, giving Tai a suspicious glance when he realized it wasn’t filled with the usual Jasmine, but a dark, bitter Darjeeling.

The blond pointedly pretended to not notice, as if he hadn’t made his ex’s favorite tea despite the fact his relationship with the woman across the room was arguably _worse_ than Qrow’s.

He was never going to understand this family, was he?

Clover set the kettle back, deciding to opt for coffee as well but drowned it in sugar. Delivered three of the four drinks to the table. Took sips of his own while he got down Citrus’ favorite cereal and made a few slices of buttered toast for himself and Qrow. Sliced some grapes into small pieces for Mint. On his second return to the table, the conversation had delved into an argument.

“I just don’t see why you can’t stay closer to them.”

“I’m staying as close as I need to. It’s bad enough they have one maiden in their group – what good would it do for me to be there?”

“You _could_ train Penny, for one.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Raven snorted, reaching for her tea.

Clover spotted Citrus imitating her with her juice. He wasn’t sure if he liked her odd admiration of the older woman.

His own feelings on her were… mixed, at best. On one hand, it was obvious her stuck-up, selfish attitude and harsh nature had soured the relationships with the people around her. Most notably the one with her own daughter, who would either ignore her or leave the room entirely. If such a thing bothered Raven, she was too stubborn to admit it and too concerned with keeping up appearances to show it.

On the other, it was Raven they owed Atlas’ evacuation to. If not for her semblance, allowing for them to quickly and safely transport people by the hundreds from Mantle’s belly of underground mines to the safe island of Patch, he was positive the death count would have been much more severe. If not, a near total genocide. Salem’s seize had been all encompassing, entrapping the citizens of both cities within their own walls. With nowhere to go and no chance of surviving the tundra, the people had bunkered down in their homes and prayed for a miracle.

So, when Raven heeded her brother’s call and agreed to help, it felt like that prayer was being answered.

Qrow told him not to be fooled by her act of kindness – because that was exactly what it was. An act. He was positive his sister only stepped in to put herself in their good graces, so that when it was _her_ life that was in danger, they would all but leap at her feet to protect her. While Clover couldn’t precisely refute that, it was certainly possible that was her aim, he also couldn’t help but point out that she already had the leverage she needed for that. After all, it wasn’t exactly like they’d allow Salem to just add another maiden’s powers to her growing entourage of followers.

It also didn’t explain why she was sticking around to be a glorified messenger bird, transporting information between their little family in Patch to Vale where the remaining members of the Aceops and the Beacon teachers were stationed, to Vacuo where Ruby and the various teams following her were keeping guard on the other relic.

Qrow blew that explanation off, just as he blew off Raven now, “How is it ridiculous to give our very important key player in this a fighting chance?”

“Oh please, don’t give me that drivel.” She snarled nastily. “You just want me to babysit those brats like you were doing.”

Before more could be said, Tai smacked the top cover of the pot down firmly and said, “If you two are going to go at each other’s throats, do it outside.”

The twins glared at one another, but Qrow was the first to back down, focusing back on Mint. “I’ve got better things to do.”

“As do I.” Raven got to her feet, setting her cup down on the table. “At least the tea was lovely. Can’t say the same for the company.”

Tai rolled his eyes. “Well thanks for coming.”

Like the tornado she was, the woman went sweeping out the back door, leaving everything behind in a disarray.

Clover exhaled slowly, studying the room. Tai had turned away to fetch a mug of tea for himself. If not for his brother-in-law’s sobriety, he may have looked for something stronger. What concerned him more was Qrow. His boyfriend was fighting a scowl, jaw locked like iron and lips pressed in a hard line of anger that seemed ready to explode out of him.

“Hey,” He started to say, reaching out towards the man beside him.

So preoccupied, none of them noticed until the back door shut a second time.

Head snapping around, Clover took one look at his daughter’s empty chair, before he was leaping up to chase after her. He was out the door and in the yard in seconds, the shout tearing out from his throat.

“ _CITRUS!_ ”

The sight that awaited him had his heart turning to ice cold dread. Raven stood in front of one of her vortexes, awash with the bloody glow and sword poised above her like a guillotine. Underneath it, hanging helplessly by the back of her dress, was his daughter.

“Raven. Put her down. **_Now._** ” He said firmly, shaking fingers going for Kingfisher – only to find it wasn’t there. Red eyes met his, the surprise in them confusing him.

“I-” She started.

Vaguely, he recognized the sound of footsteps on the porch behind him, but his attention didn’t waver from the situation in front of him. So, he didn’t miss the way her expression steeled over once more.

“What are you doing?!” Qrow bellowed.

“Just making a point.” Raven tossed the girl through the air, right into Clover’s waiting arms. “Would have been a tragedy if I’d been an enemy, wouldn’t it of?”

With that parting gift, she walking through her portal and vanished in a blink.

* * *

The first lesson ever taught to him at the academy was no amount of preparation could plan for the unplannable.

With a snap, the book was closed, Clover tossing it onto the table in front of him with a scoff. He fell back against the couch cushions, raking agitated hands through his hair. With Tai having gone to town and Qrow and the kids upstairs, there was a rare bit of stillness to the home. Yet, the quiet only seemed to invite the echoes of his own shouts until they were the loudest thing in the room again.

_“What were you thinking? You can’t just run after people with swords!”_

_“But, but dad has a sword!”_

_“I don’t care! You could have gotten hurt!”_

_“I-I just wanted to-”_

_“I don’t want to hear it! Go to your room, right now!”_

Citrus’ tear-stained face as she ran up the stairs plagued him like an illness. He groaned miserably, pressing his palms against his eyes hard enough to see stars. Even with the many years leading the Aceops under his belt, he was never really a man known to shout. What had happened?

The stairs creaking had him looking up, seeing Qrow descending them. “Mint’s down for his nap.”

“And Trissy?”

“Still doesn’t want to come down.”

Who could blame her? Clover heaved a sigh. “I made an awful display of myself, huh?”

“Wouldn’t say that.” The other man joined him on the couch. “When Yang was about the same age, she took herself and Ruby out into the woods.” He paused, before snorting. “Trying to find _Raven_ actually.”

Did this woman just attract danger by merely being in someone’s thoughts?

“So, of course they got attacked by Grimm out there. I barely got there in time.” Qrow ran a hand over the back of his head, smile sheepish. “You should have seen how I lost my head that day. And I was nothing compared to Tai. A volcano erupting would have been calmer.”

That managed to wretch a chuckle from him.

Qrow bumped their shoulders together with no more force than a pat. “Sometimes, kids are frustrating little tyrants that’ll make terrible decisions and drive you up a wall. Getting mad about it doesn’t mean the world ended, just means you care.”

“I know. I just,” He gestured to the forgotten book, Disciplining Positively, he’d tossed aside on the table, “I want to do things the right way for them.”

“Why didn’t anyone tell me there was a ‘How to do everything right’ guide? Coulda sold that to me ages ago.” He drawled sarcastically.

Clover curled an arm around him, pulling him closer. “Very funny. You know what I mean.”

“I do. And I’ll admit, you do better than most, but even you can mess up lucky charm. All you can do when that happens is roll with those punches. Citrus’ll come around. And if that fails,” His grin was downright devious, “Bribery _always_ works.”

“Oh, stop!”

Qrow only laughed, not fighting the kisses Clover attacked his face with. He had almost made it to his mouth, when a pitter-patter from upstairs interrupted. A moment later, a small shadow stretched down the stairwell. Testing, a foot came into view, landing on the first step. When nothing ill happened, the other foot followed.

When she made it to the first landing, Qrow spoke, “Whatcha doing there, squirt?”

She had brought Mr. Cuddlesworth with her and was hugging him. “Can I come down now?”

“I think that one’s up to daddy.”

Clover gave the other an appreciative look, before smiling up at their daughter. “Of course you can, sweetheart.”

She came down the rest of the stairs, only to pause once she got to the rug. “Are you still mad?”

He chose his next words carefully, “No, I’m not. I’m sorry I yelled at you. I was scared that Aunt Raven was going to hurt you, because she was holding her sword.”

She tugged idly on one of the rabbit’s long, floppy ears. “I think I scared her too.”

That had Qrow leaning forward, asking. “What do you mean?”

“She said a no-no word when I tried to run into her portal thing. That’s why she grabbed me. Then she snapped at me like daddy did.”

Clover frowned. He had a feeling he had another apology to give. “Trissy, why did you do that?”

“Because,” She twisted and untwisted the ear, tapping her little feet, “If I went with her, then she would have to bring me back.”

Oh. “You wanted to spend more time with her, huh?”

“Uh-huh.”

He eyed his boyfriend carefully, seeing the confliction all over his face. He dropped a hand over his, giving it a small squeeze. This had to be hard for him. “Well sweetie, next time, we can just ask her if she can stay longer okay?”

“Okay.”

“I’m also sorry I made you upset and sad. Can you forgive me?”

Citrus nibbled on the end of the rabbit’s ear as she thought, before giving a slow nod.

Relief pushed out of him in a soft sigh. “Thank you.” He shifted back, sinking into the cushions more. “Hey, since Mint’s asleep, why don’t we all watch a Gleamworks movie?”

“Sounds good to me.” Qrow got to his feet. After all that, he was probably eager to just veg out for the next hour and a half. He lent down in front of the media center, pulling out one of the drawers. “Your pick squirt.”

“I like the one with the funny panda!”

“Funny panda it is.”

While Qrow got things set up Citrus came over and, to Clover’s surprise, climbed up right next to him. She held her bunny up at him, reporting matter-of-factly, “Mr. Cuddlesworth needs to be able to see too.”

“Okay.” He picked up the stuffed toy, setting it on her head. “What about here?”

“No, daddy! Somewhere higher!”

“Oh, got it.” He turned the rabbit around, setting it on the back of the couch. “How about this?”

She giggled behind her hands. “Noooo. That’s the wrong way. He can’t see out of his butt!”

“Are you sure?”

She gave him a look. “Can you see out of your butt?”

He winked. “Maybe that’s my semblance.”

“No, it’s not! Now do it right!”

He chuckled but did as asked, righting the toy. As Citrus snuggled up to him, he wrapped an arm around her. A moment later, he did the same with Qrow when he plopped back down beside him.

While the movie played, Clover had to wonder how his life had both become congruently simpler and harder at the same time. Sure, he no longer faced anything more dangerous than bruised knees from tripping over Mint’s toys and the most terrifying thing he had to confront was not a crazed Grimm Queen but Citrus trying to run after her criminal of an aunt. But now he had to contend with new difficulties, like learning how to deal with sleepless nights when Mint was teething, or adapting to the new developments and understanding as the kids grew, or just having long talks with Qrow about their plans for their future together and the one they hoped to give to their children. Every new decision they made wasn’t the same as facing the end of the world, but at the same time it was.

Because, somewhere along the way, this family had _become_ his new world.

In that, there was something that hadn’t changed – his resolve to protect that world with everything he had.

So that tomorrow, it could flourish and grow.

To his right, Citrus laughed as the panda went flying across the sky. To his left, Qrow yawned and rested his head against his shoulder for a nap of his own. Clover only smiled, arms still holding on, never intending to let go.

So that tomorrow, they all had something wonderful to wake up to.


End file.
